Grand Falls Casino: No Swiftie side-wagers

LARCHWOOD, IOWA (KELO) — The odds are in the favor of Grand Falls Casino for a big haul during the Super Bowl. The Betfred Sportsbook at the Larchwood, Iowa casino expects more than $700 thousand in wagering for the game pitting the Kansas City Chiefs versus the San Francisco 49ers. But it’s what you can’t bet on that’s catching some people’s attention.

Josh Chapman is a big Chiefs fan who doesn’t want to jinx his team by betting on them in the Super Bowl. But he does plan to wager on prop bets for the game.

“Who’s going to score first. How many times are they going to show Taylor Swift,” Chapman said.

But it turns out, when it comes to Taylor Swift, all bets are off.

“Taylor Swift, I know that everyone is crazy about her. But we can’t have any wager for that here,” Betfred Sports Sportsbook Manager Joee Ektnitphong said.

Not having Taylor Swift on any of the prop bets is a decision made by the Iowa Gaming Commission. The betting has to be based on the actions of players, not an entertainer, much to the disappointment of self-confessed Swifties.

“I actually took my daughters and my son to the Taylor Swift concert in Kansas City. We’re die-hard Chiefs fans. But for my 13-year-old girls to see Taylor Swift, it was absolutely just awesome as a parent to see their excitement,” Chapman said.

But Grand Falls Casino says Swifties like Chapman probably won’t be a big driver of Super Bowl betting, anyway.

“Taylor Swift, as far as sports betting, she doesn’t really have an effect there. But she definitely has increased viewership with the NFL, for sure. And I think that’s great. She’s definitely brought a lot more people watching the game,” Grand Falls Casino Regional Vice-President & General Manager Sharon Haselhoff said.

But it’s not just Betfred. No sportsbooks can accept wagers on whether Swift will appear during the Super Bowl. Chapman says he’s surprised, but okay with that, just as long as his Chiefs win the game.

Some of the prop bets you can wager on include the total points scored. Will either team score four straight times? And will the last play of the game be a quarterback kneeling?

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